orienteering without borders

english version:

This time a couple of more or less extraordinary events: I’ve only been here just over 2 weeks, but there’s a lot to report: A fire that was caused by an electricity failure has totally destroyed seven houses near Muthama including the house of our friend Laban. He and his wife Josephine were unable to save anything apart from the clothes they were wearing – like most of the other families who were affected too. And since the fire all of them are having to share one room or house (here that often amounts to the same thing!) that was left standing. We helped Laban and Josephine with a rucksack full of clothes; but otherwise not much has been able to be done as they do not of course have any money to rebuild their houses or to move somewhere else. What has really amazed me is the calmness with which the people affected have taken this event: when we visited Laban the following morning, we encountered these people sitting and sometimes laughing together; I feel more affected than the victims themselves! But for them, who have just lost their homes, it isn’t a catastrophe at all and none of them are asking: Why me? – It is just “a part of life”, as Laban said to me.
Today we were spectating at the Nairobi Marathon where a number of orienteers were also running (most of the orienteers are also excellent runners), including Laban (Half Marathon), Gitonga (Marathon) and Kosgei (10km) – I hope that you will soon be able to see these on the website :o) It was a very impressive experience for me – until now I had only been at the Graz Marathon (By the way : many warm congratulations to Matthias from Esther, Sammy and me!) And next Saturday the cross country season begins here – and a few of us will also be on the start line in this first competition, including Laban and Gibe.
One feature of daily life here I have omitted to mention so far in my reports: That is the omnipresence of Christianity – but not as we know it in Austria or a number of other European countries where most people are baptised as Christians but not really engaged in the faith thereafter. Most people here live with a real belief in God and live their daily lives accordingly. This situation has resulted in a vast number of (more or less) different churches and denominations – there is a church on nearly every corner (sometimes just a corrugated iron hut); if you go for a walk on a Sunday, you can hear almost constantly from somewhere or other gospel music and clapping or the fiery sermon of a preacher. You can also come across these in parks too – as well as believers praying out aloud. Unfortunately, there are also enough con men too who make a business out of their preaching and healing in return for “sacrificial offerings” – for which they find all too many victims.
The presidential elections in Kenya will take place just before Christmas – and the election campaign has been underway since the beginning of the year! You constantly hear some politician or other on the radio and almost every weekend some party or other holds some election event, for example in Uhuru Park in Nairobi. Rather paralysing after a while. I had the honour already on my second day here in Kenya to see the (present) President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, with my own eyes – there was such a crowd of people as though he was royalty!
I miss my guitar really badly; although not only to be able to play music with the children, but also just for my own pleasure... My kids (Josphat Kamau, Mungai, Babu, Mong’ong’o, Gabriel, Bryan, Wangari, Diana, Gladys, Oskar, Brian and Njeri) are making good progress already in learning the geometrical shapes – it’s not really so difficult for them, just that they are not normally challenged in this way; not even Wangari, Gladys and Brian, who already go to school, learn much there – most of the time is spent singing. We do that too – but after we have finished our “work”.